TOMS RIVER – A Toms River nurse has pleaded guilty and a Lakehurst nurse has been indicted in connection with an alleged $20 million Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme involving cash kickbacks for prescriptions, federal prosecutors said.
Nikki Steidle, 53, of Toms River, pleaded guilty June 30 to conspiring to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks and unlawfully distribute controlled substances, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Ashlee Maixner, 39, of Lakehurst, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, unlawfully distribute controlled substances and two counts of soliciting and receiving a kickback. She was arraigned June 25 before Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark and pleaded not guilty.
Authorities said Steidle and Maixner were advanced practice nurses who worked for Dr. Boris Veysman, an emergency medicine doctor with offices in New Jersey. Prosecutors said they are accused of receiving illegal kickbacks from pharmacy owner Sherif Elmasri in exchange for issuing prescriptions.
Federal officials said Elmasri, 45, of Morganville, owned pharmacies and paid bribes to several health care providers from October 2022 through November 2025. In exchange, those providers allegedly issued prescriptions for high-reimbursement medications chosen by Elmasri and billed to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Prosecutors said Elmasri profited from the prescriptions and the insurance claims generated for his pharmacies.
Veysman, Steidle and Maixner are also accused of conspiring to unlawfully distribute controlled substances to patients without properly assessing them, authorities said.
In all, prosecutors said the defendants caused an estimated loss of about $20.7 million to Medicare and Medicaid.
“The District of New Jersey remains committed to aggressively rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse committed by doctors, pharmacists, and medical professionals who betray their patients in pursuit of greed,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said.
FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said each defendant had a different role, but that the case reflected “a complete disrespect” for Medicare and Medicaid.
Authorities said Veysman, 48, of Freehold, pleaded guilty June 17 to conspiring to commit health care fraud and unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Elmasri pleaded guilty June 16 to conspiring to commit health care fraud and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Stephanie Cupo, 45, of South Plainfield, who also worked for Veysman, pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to conspiring to make false statements related to health care matters and using a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number issued to another person. Prosecutors said Cupo submitted prior authorizations containing false information to improve the chances that Medicare and other health care benefit programs would approve the prescriptions.
Janet Tadros, 59, of Union City, also pleaded guilty July 7 to conspiring to commit health care fraud and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Authorities said Tadros was the office manager of a Jersey City neurology practice and received about $3,000 a week in cash kickbacks for sending Elmasri’s pharmacies medically unnecessary prescriptions. Prosecutors said some of those prescriptions were for patients who had not been evaluated and were submitted without a provider’s knowledge or approval.
The conspiracy charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and Anti-Kickback Statute violations each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The investigation involved the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the DEA New Jersey Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys Nicholas Peone, Paul J. Koob and Kraig Ahalt of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section.
The charges against Maixner are accusations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
